The Wrath of the Iceni

Fourth Doctor Adventures #1.3

Released: March 2012

Listened: 2/26/22

This story is the stand-out of this first series, for me. Of course, it’s a John Dorney story, but there’s no twist, no timey-wimey. It’s a straight historical, initially pitched as “Leela meets Boudica,” which is an amazing idea, and executed even better. Because of the speedy nature of this story, the Doctor and Leela run into Boudica almost immediately, Leela immediately recognizes her as a kindred spirit, and pledges herself to Boudica’s cause. The Doctor doesn’t like that at all, mostly because of the Web of Time, but he has no real way of explaining that to Leela that she’ll understand. It goes far enough that Leela is forced to choose between them, and although we know how the story will end up, the anguish in the Doctor’s voice is unmistakable. It’s a powerful story, with both characters doing what they believe is right, based on the values of their own cultures; it gives Leela more agency than just doing whatever the Doctor says all the time. Boudica, as played by Ella Kenion, is also impressive; she has a bold, commanding presentation that radiates self-confidence. It’s easy to see why Leela would be attracted to her. Even better, Leela makes her own decision about who’s right in the end, and adds some nuance to what she considers an “honorable warrior” to be. As a result, this is one of my favorite historicals, period.